After four Plangent volumes filled with his own music, Recondite planned for the fifth to host interpretations of his own work by some of the producers who inspired him to make music. The line-up for this release once included Scuba, for whom Recondite had done two remixes of “The Hope” and contributed DRGN/Wist 365 single to his Hotflush Recordings label. The final version Plangent #005 is in fact Scuba-less, leaving Dial associates RNDM and Kassian Troyer to carry the flag. “Dawn” and “Haptic” were the chosen templates: two archetypal cuts of brooding, melodic techno lifted from releases 004 and 002 of the Plangent back catalog, respectively.

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Listening back to the originals, both RNDM and Troyer appear to have used Recondite’s prototypical elements as only a loose and basic springboard for their efforts. With his remix of “Dawn,” RNDM doesn’t so much offer up a new take on the original as construct a brand new record under the same melancholic, damp umbrella theme. RNDM administers his “Dawn” a sturdier frame, with doughty synths fused inextricably with a mean, resolute roller of a bass line. Mellow wisps of sound intertwine delicately with muted horns, providing a stark, captivating contrast between the track’s internal and external facets. It’s a beautiful slice of techno and one that slots graciously and with ease into the Plangent files. With the dryer, moodier “Haptic,” Kassian Troyer works inversely to RNDM, reducing the thump on the kick and enshrouding his attempt in a veil of Dial-inspired, micro-house intensity. Thin, airy pads pervade the track, while a light but still significantly potent bass line keeps things moving along steadily. Unlike RNDM, however, Troyer’s rendition conveys a markedly different stylistic approach and it’s perhaps not one that suits the label as well. Having built up such a strong sonic identity with the first four releases, one gets the impression there’s only really room for Recondite, or willing Recondite impersonators, on Plangent.